Obama: ‘We Will Continue To Hunt Down Terrorists’ Unilaterally

‘We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks and reserve the right to act unilaterally as we’ve done to take terrorists out’

BARACK OBAMA: “Of course, if there’s one thing this new century has taught us, it’s that we cannot separate our work at home from challenges beyond our shores. My first duty as Commander-in-Chief is to defend the United States of America. In doing so, the question is not whether America leads in the world, but how. When we make rash decisions, reacting to the headlines instead of using our heads; when the first response to a challenge is to send in our military — then we risk getting drawn into unnecessary conflicts, and neglect the broader strategy we need for a safer, more prosperous world. That’s what our enemies want us to do. I believe in a smarter kind of American leadership. We lead best when we combine military power with strong diplomacy; when we leverage our power with coalition building; when we don’t let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century presents. That’s exactly what we’re doing right now — and around the globe, it is making a difference. First, we stand united with people around the world who’ve been targeted by terrorists — from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris. We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks, and we reserve the right to act unilaterally, as we’ve done relentlessly since I took office to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to us and our allies. At the same time, we’ve learned some costly lessons over the last thirteen years. Instead of Americans patrolling the valleys of Afghanistan, we’ve trained their security forces.”

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